Target insects are rapidly developing resistance to the insecticides which are presently available. Resistance to insecticides in arthropods is widespread, with at least 400 species exhibiting resistance to one or more insecticides. The development of resistance to older insecticides, such as DDT, the carbamates, and the organophosphates, is well documented. See Brattsten, Holyoke, Leeper, and Raffa, "Insecticide Resistance: Challenge to Pest Management and Basic Research," Science, 231, 1255 (1986). Resistance to synthetic insecticides has developed extremely rapidly, including the development of resistance to the newer pyrethroid insecticides. Pickett, "Chemical Pest Control--the New Philosophy, Chem. Britain, 137 (1988). Therefore, new insecticides are in demand.
Fermentation product A83543, a family of related factors produced by Saccharopolyspora spinosa, was recently discovered and was shown to exhibit excellent insecticidal activity. Previously, fermentation product A83543 was shown to comprise individual components A83543A, A83543B, A83543C, A83543D, A83543E, A83543F, A83543G, A83543H, and A83543J. European Patent Publication No. 0 375 316. The general structure was shown to consist of a 5,6,5-tricyclic ring system fused to a 12-membered macrocyclic lactone, a neutral sugar, and an amino sugar. Kirst et al., Tetrahedron Letters, 32, 4839 (1991). European Patent Application No. 0 375 316 A1 also discloses six pseudoaglycones, A83543PsaA1, A83543PsaD1, A83543PsaE1, A83543PsaF1, A83543PsaH1, and A83543PsaJ1, which are produced by removing the amino sugar from A83543A, A83543D, A83543E, A83543F, A83543H, and A83543J, respectively. Removing the amino sugar from factor A83543B, A83543C, or A83543G also produces A83543PsaA1.
The following table identifies by structure these known A83543 compounds.
__________________________________________________________________________ ##STR1## Factor R.sup.1' R.sup.3' R.sup.2' R.sup.4' R.sup.5' R.sup.6' __________________________________________________________________________ A83543A H CH.sub.3 ##STR2## C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543B H CH.sub.3 ##STR3## C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543C H CH.sub.3 ##STR4## C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543D CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 ##STR5## C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543E H CH.sub.3 ##STR6## CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543F H H ##STR7## C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543G H CH.sub.3 ##STR8## C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543H H CH.sub.3 ##STR9## C.sub.2 H.sub.5 H CH.sub.3 A83543J H CH.sub.3 ##STR10## C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 H A83543PsaA1 H CH.sub.3 H C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543PsaD1 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 H C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543PsaE1 H CH.sub.3 H CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543PsaF1 H H H C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 A83543PsaH1 H CH.sub.3 H C.sub.2 H.sub.5 H CH.sub.3 A83543PsaJ1 H CH.sub.3 H C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 H __________________________________________________________________________
Of the known A83543 compounds, A83543J and A83543PsaJ1 are 3'-O-desmethyl compounds, i.e. compounds wherein R.sup.6' is H.
As used herein, the term "A83543 component " means a compound selected from the group consisting of A83543A, A83543B, A83543C, A83543D, A83543E, A83543F, A83543G, A83543H and A83543J. A83543 and each of the components are useful for the control of mites and insects, particularly Lepidoptera and Diptera species.